


Support

by shieldivarius



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Ladies of SHIELD Mini-Challenge, MCU/616 Lady Appears, Post-Bahrain, Pre-Series/Back story, The Cavalry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-17
Updated: 2013-10-17
Packaged: 2017-12-29 15:49:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1007222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shieldivarius/pseuds/shieldivarius
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Melinda still has a built-in excuse for hiding from the world, and Natasha's people skills aren't great when she's herself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Support

“They’re calling you the Cavalry, you know.”

“Fuck them.”

Natasha crossed to the bed, stopped next to it and waited. Just waited. After a moment (a ridiculously, painfully long moment) Melinda lifted her hand a fraction, enough to be an invitation, not enough to be eager. Natasha wrapped the hand in both her own. Melinda hadn’t opened her eyes yet, in fact seemed to be squeezing them shut, blocking out the world around her.

“You know they’re discharging you in two days, you’re going to have to face—“

“Do you think you’re helping me right now?”

Melinda opened her eyes and Natasha met her gaze, refusing to look away from the roiling pain and self-loathing that churned within them, irises nearly black and with pupils blown out in the dimness of the room.

“You will get past this,” Natasha said.

Melinda jerked her hand back, a wince, quickly hidden, flashing through her face when the motion jarred her broken arm.

“I am. Not. _You_ ,” she spat.

Natasha didn’t recoil, but it was a near thing and she knew she hadn’t masked the shocked widening of her eyes. 

She took a breath. Let it out.

“’Linda,” Natasha said. “I’m not saying—“

“Yes, you are. Get out, Natasha.” She’d closed her eyes again, lids a flimsy defence against the world. Weariness screamed from every line in her face—and there were definitely more of those than there had been when she’d left for Bahrain.

Natasha didn’t move. “Has anyone come to speak—“

“Romanoff.” Melinda’s teeth ground together, the name muttered, barely moving her lips to get it out. “I don’t want to see or hear you right now. _Get out_.”

So hard, _so hard_ , to remember that it was the incident talking. So hard not to try and argue further. To not try and talk her down because this visit had taken a wrong turn even more quickly than the last. _God_ , but she was an insensitive idiot.

Two days. Melinda got two more days to hide out and pretend the world wasn’t still going on around her. Natasha had two days to work it out and get her trust back and be a useful part of the support system she was going to need.

Natasha made her steps loud in her pacing away from the bed.

“I love you, Melinda,” she said from the doorway. No response.

Then a pained, muffled moan as the hospital room door closed behind her.

**Author's Note:**

> Challenge prompts are in the tags. Written between the airing of episodes 1x04 and 1x05.
> 
> http://shieldivarius.tumblr.com


End file.
